Annia Hernández Peñalver, coach of Cuba's female U-12 softball team, left the national delegation during a layover in Miami en route to Puerto Rico this Sunday and sought asylum with US authorities.
Hernández's escape occurred at Miami International Airport (MIA), where the team made a technical stopover to continue the flight to Puerto Rico, home from this Monday to the 2024 Latin American Little League Softball Championship for Girls, as reported by the specialized portal The Cuban Baseball Digest.
After arriving at MIA, the Cuban instructor surrendered to officials from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to request political asylum in the U.S.
After an interview with the officials, Hernandez was released, as confirmed by sources connected to the case to Marti News.
The Little League girls' softball tournament will take place until July 13th in Guánica, and will award a spot for the World Series in the category, in the U.S. this same year.
Hernández was part of the team from the municipality of La Palma in Pinar del Río that was crowned champion in the national female softball competition for under 12s, a triumph that has allowed them to make history as they will be the first team to represent Cuba in the regional tournament.
Five national teams will compete in the tournament in Puerto Rico, following a round-robin format with two rounds. In addition to Cuba, softball players from Mexico, the United States Virgin Islands, and two Puerto Rican teams (the national team and the Guayama municipality team) will participate. The Cuban team will play against the Virgin Islands and Guayama this Tuesday, as reported by the Cuban site JIT.
Coach Hernandez's escape adds one more number to the extensive list of Cuban athletes who have left the country or national delegations in competitions outside the island, in search of better opportunities for their sporting careers and their lives, given the widespread crisis affecting Cuba.
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